Northwestern Pritzker Law Launches New West Coast Initiative

Northwestern Pritzker School of Law is delighted to announce the launch of the West Coast Initiative, an expansion of the Law School’s innovative San Francisco Immersion program into Seattle and Los Angeles. The initiative will offer new opportunities to current and future law students, alumni, and corporate and law firm partners in three key West Coast markets touching a cross-section of locally relevant industries.

“Northwestern Pritzker Law is committed to innovative, interdisciplinary education that prepares our students to lead in a changing legal environment. The West Coast Initiative embodies that commitment as we build upon our successful San Francisco Immersion Program to add new programs in Los Angeles and Seattle,” said Dean Hari Osofsky.  “I am grateful to Professor Emerson Tiller, Ashley Floyd, Juana Haskin, and our amazing alumni leaders for their collaborative work to develop this new effort.”

As a first step in the West Coast Initiative, the Law School will offer new programs that allow students to engage in West Coast legal and business markets. Starting in the spring semester of 2024, the West Coast Initiative will build upon the San Francisco Immersion Program with the Seattle Tech-Law Experience and the Los Angeles Entertainment, Media, and Sports Law & Business Semester — three distinct opportunities for students to engage in West Coast markets defined by technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

The San Francisco Immersion Program (SFIP), an established program offered to JD and JD-MBA students, will now have an optional Seattle Tech-Law Experience. Led in partnership with Kellogg School of Management and with a focus on technology and entrepreneurship, the San Francisco Immersion Program is a 10-week program tailored toward individuals interested in understanding the legal and business environment of growth-stage startup firms, venture capital and private equity firms, and high-tech companies. Courses held at Northwestern’s San Francisco location are tailored to the Bay Area tech law and entrepreneurship environment and offer student externships with in-house legal departments in high-tech companies.

Students in the Seattle Tech-Law Experience will participate in a technology-focused Law and Leadership seminar in a Seattle technology company, visit Seattle technology companies hosted by in-house counsel, and attend Seattle law alumni networking events. This optional 4-week program, available exclusively to SFIP students, concludes at the end of the spring semester.

The Los Angeles Entertainment, Media, and Sports Law & Business Semester, as a pilot program for 2024, is offered to JD students interested in building their professional acumen and networks while taking specialized courses in entertainment, media, sports law, and entrepreneurship. Students selected for the program will spend the spring semester in Los Angeles learning from Northwestern residential and adjunct faculty. The program also offers legal externships in entertainment and sports companies.

“The West Coast Initiative builds on our success in the San Francisco Immersion Program by adding two other great West Coast locations – Seattle and Los Angeles – for our students and alumni to connect,” said Emerson Tiller, J. Landis Martin Professor of Law and business director of West Coast Initiatives. “Our alumni teach, guest speak, host externs at their work, mentor students, and open their networks to our students through these West Coast programs. The whole initiative is built around our alumni participation. Bringing our West Coast alumni in closer contact with our educational mission is a big win for the students, the alumni, and the school more generally.”

Rising second- and third-year students are encouraged to apply to the new programs. The application reviewing process is on a rolling basis, with a deadline of May 30, 2023, for the 2024 programs. Students may apply to more than one program, but no one will be admitted to more than one program.

Students, alumni, and corporate and law firm partners can learn more at the West Coast Initiative homepage or email questions to the director at wci-director@law.northwestern.edu.